Fuse setting apparatus for artillery projectiles



Sept. 15, 1942.

G. M. T. A. FONTAINE 2,295,573 FUSE SETTING APPARATUS FOR ARTILLERYPROJECTILES Filed May 24, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 UR V811 1 0T B7 W407i,#61223 Sept. 15, 1942. G. M. T. A. FONTAINE FUSE SETTING APPARATUS FORARTILLERY PROJECTILES Filed May 24, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 a fig? m,mm vAid/tn, gw

Sept. 15, 1942.

G. M. T. A. FONTAINE 2,295,573 FUSE SETTING APPARATUS FOR ARTILLERYPROJECTILES Filed May 24, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Unveni'or.

Sept. 15, 1942- G. M. T. A. FONTAINE FUSE SETTING APPARATUS FORARTILLERY PROJECTILES Filed May 24, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 III/III wIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Patented Sept. 15, 1942 QFFHCE FUSE SETEIN G APPARATUSFOR ARTHLERY PROJECTILES Application May 24, 1939, Serial No. 275,565 InFrance June 16, 1938 form, intended to receive the projectiles the 11Claims.

In certain pieces of modern artillery and in particular for those whichare intended for antiaircraft firing, the rapidity of loading and firingis such that it may exceed that which can be normally attained insupplying cartridges or projectiles when there is used for the settingof the fuses of these latter a fuse setter with a single station.

Means have thus had to be found for increasing the rapidity of thesetting operation and consequently of the supply in question.

A first solution would obviously have consisted in utilising a pluralityof fuse setters, but this presents numerous inconveniences and inparticular that of not being very practical from the point of view ofservice and furthermore being very expensive.

Another solution has consisted in providing multiple fuse setters, thatis to say, fuse setters comprising a plurality of setting stationscontrolled simultaneously, but these devices themselves present acertain number of inconveniences. On the one hand, they do not permit ofgoing on with the setting operation of each fuse in as precise a manneras is desirable, that is to say, of going on with this setting operationup to the moment when the loading gunner seizes the cartridge or theprojectile to introduce it into the gun. On the other hand, in thecourse of their utilization, the movements of the supply gunner orgunners which serve the fuse setter and those of the loading gunner whotakes the cartridge or the projectiles ready to be fired, necessarilyintermingle and consequently impede one another.

The present invention relates to a fuse setter f progressive andcontinuous operation, the arrangement of which is such that it permitssimultaneously the presence on the apparatus atthe same time of aplurality of projectiles to be set and a continuous supply and acontinuous withdrawal of the cartridges or projectiles by the loadinggunner, without the movements of these different men in any wayinterfering with one another.

Finally, the setting operation of each fuse can he proceeded with up tothe instant when the projectile which carries the fuse in question iswithdrawn from the fuse setter by the loading gunner.

The fuse setter in question comprises the combination with a base or bedplate element fixed and carrying the different setting controlmechanisms. of a movable plate or drum comprising a certain number ofstations or sockets, of ogive fuses of which are to be set, the saidmovable plate or drum being constituted and mounted in such manner andbeing connected to the setting control mechanisms in such manner that,owing to the periodical displacement imparted to this drum, eachcartridge or projectile, after having been introduced into the socketwhich at the movement of the said introduction occupied a givenposition, is carried with the receptacle in question towards a finalposition of withdrawal and. undergoes during at least a portion of thisjourney a progressive and continuous preparation of the setting to beeffected, the latter nevertheless preferably not becoming definite untilthe exact moment when the cartridge or the projectile in question iswithdrawn by the loader.

The said fuse setter is furthermore characterized by the arrangement andthe placing in operation of accessory devices of engagement andsynchronization, due to which the setting 01' the fuses is madeindependent of the orientation of the projectile at the moment when itis placed in position on the setter, and owing to which the movableplate or drum of the latter is only displaced after the cartridge or theprojectile which occupies the withdrawal position has been withdrawnfrom the socket which it occupied.

There is shown in the accompanying drawings by way of example, aconstruction for carrying out the invention, the latter being applied tothe case of a fuse setter intended for setting time fuses of the knowntype embodying a time ring, the setting of which is obtained by theangular displacement to a suitable extent of a movable ring or plate,provided with an external entrainment tenon, with respect to the body ofthe fuse, which itself comprises a fixed retaining tenon. It should beunderstood that this construction may be modified in its details and maybe supplemented by any useful accessory device, or may be adapted toother types of fuses without thereby departing from the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of oneembodiment of the invention which, by parts being broken away, permitsthe principle of the constitution and operation of the apparatus to beunderstood.

Figure 2 is a view in elevation and partial section of the line IIII ofFigure 3 of a modified form of the invention, including automatic meansfor lockin the movable drum in stationary position as long as there is aprojectile in thecompartment occupying the withdrawal position. I

Figure 3 is a plan view with partial section on the line IIIIII ofFigure. 2.

Figure 4 is a general diagram enabling the various stages of theoperations to be followed.

Figures ,5 and 6 are diagrams of details showing the particulararrangement due to .which' 7 interior of which is arranged the settingcontrol mechanism constituted by an endless screw 2 which is driven bymeans of an external crank not shown and which engages with a toothedsector 3, integral with a cylindrical sleeve 4 adapted, when it isdriven by the toothed sector 3, to rotate freely about the axis X-X ofthe apparatus.

The said cylindrical sleeve ii is provided with a toothed control sectorand a-guide cam collar 6, the purpose of which will be explained later.

There is furthermore mounted-and centered on the fixed base I, throughthe intermediary of ball bearing 1, a cylindrical plate or drum 3,comprising first of all at its upper part a certain number of internallyserrated recesses or compartments 9l Ei-l il2 (four in the present case)of dimensions corresponding to the diameter of the munitions to bedealtwith, and then, on its inner face an equal number of hollowcylindrical supports l3-!4-l5-l8 in the interior of which arerotatably'mounted hollow cylindrical sockets ll-l8-l9-2fi, the upperends of which are also internally serrated as indicated at 2|. Each ofthese sockets has on its outer surface, at the level of the toothedcontrol sector 5 of the sleeve 4, a corresponding set of teeth 22 andalso, at its lower extremity at the level of and opposite the guide camcollar {3 of the sleeve 5, a corresponding guiding and co-operating nosepiece or projection 23 with a concave circular edge. 7

The supports l3ll-l5i5 are arranged in such manner that the axes of thesockets lll'8-lS-'2il coincide respectively with the axes of therecesses '9itll ll2, and so that each recess and its correspondingsocket constitute a receptacle for the ogival, fuse carrying head of aprojectile.

Finally, the movable drum 8 is provided on the outside with manipulatinghandles 2tl25- 26-27, preferably equal in number to that of the recessesand of locking devices constituted either according to what is shown onFigure 1, at 2829-353l, intended to receive the extremity 32 of a stopbolt 33, subjected to the action of a spring 35 and adapted to becontrolled by means of a manipulating handle 35, or according to what isshown on Figure 2, by automatic devices, the details of which will bedescribed later.

To facilitate the description of the operation of the apparatus, therewill be indicated respectively by position a, position 1), position 0and position d the four successive positions which, by substitution,each recess and the corresponding socket successively occupy as the drumis caused to rotate, for example from the right towards the left.

The position a is what will be called the position of supply. Theposition b is what will be called the intermediate position.

The position 0 is what will be called the withdrawal'or removalposition.

The position (1 is What will be called the return position.

If there Were more than four positions, there would naturally be moreintermediate positions and several return positions, butthere would inany case be only one supply position and one withdrawal or removalposition.

In the position a, the circular portion of the projection '23 of thesocket which occupies this position is closely applied'to the guide camcollar 6 of the sleeve 4, the shape of which it fits.

Owing tothis, and by construction, the teeth 25 of the upper edge of thesaid socket are directed in such manner as to coincide exactly with theteeth 36 of the corresponding recess of the drum 8, and the axis ofsymmetry m-n of the projection 23 is directed towards the centre 0 ofthe apparatus. I

Consequently, at the moment when a projectile is introduced, the fixedtenon and the movable tenon of the fuse may, without having to undergorelative displacement one with respect to the other, penetratesimultaneously and respectively:

The'first into one of the teeth 35 of the recess of the drum;

The other into the corresponding tooth 2! of the cylindrical socket.

Furthermore, the external teeth '22 of the sock,- et are in a welldefined initial position.

It'is here necessary to point out that the toothed control sector 5 ofthe cylindrical sleeve t extends over only a portion of the periphery ofthe said sleeve, its length being strictly equivalent to that of theperiphery of the sockets.

The dififerent directions which the said sector 5 takes up, owing to theaction of the endless screw 2 on the toothed sector 3 of the sleeve 4,are such that in no case does the said toothed control sector 5 comeinto engage. lent with the teeth 22 of a socket when the latter is inthe position a, that is to say, in the position of sup- P y.

It results from this that at the moment when, by acting in a suitablemanner on one or other of the manipulating handles of the drum 8,previousl unlocked, this drum is caused to rotate by a first quarter ofa turn to bring to the intermediate position b the recess orcompartment, the socket and the projectile which previously occupied thesupply position a, this displacement takes place in principle entirelywith-out the socket rotating with respect to the recess or compartment,and consequently without the movable plate for setting the fuse rotatingwith respect to the body of the said fuse, provided, of course, thataccording to the showing of the diagram of Figure 4, the origin A of thetoothed control sector 5 has remained in the second quadrant and has notbeen brought into the first one.

Naturally, if the said origin A had been brought into the firstquadrant, the movement which will now be described would commence in thecourse of that displacement during which the projectile supplied at amoves'to'b; otherwise, however, nothing would be changed.

When a fresh movement is imparted to the drum 8, the serratedcompartment, the socket and the projectile which were in the position bwill be transferred into the position of withdrawal or removal 0.Assuming that, as in Figure 4, the rear end of the sector 5 is just incontact with the teeth 22 of the socket in the position b, the teeth 22of the socket come into engagement with the sector 5, and from thismoment the socket acts to some extent as a satellite with respect to thesaid sector 5, so that as the movement of rotation of the drum 8proceeds, the socket rotates with respect to the compartment andconsequently causes the movable plate of the fuse to rotate with respectto the body of the latter.

In passing from the intermediate position b to the position ofwithdrawal 0, the projectile therefore undergoes automatically theinfluence of the setting control mechanism, which itself may also beplaced simultaneously in movement for any desired modification of thesaid setting, as the two operations may be carried out in a mutualmanner without interfering with each other.

At the moment when the teeth 22 of the socket engage with the sector 5,the heel 3'5 of the projection 23 (see Figure 4) is caused to approachthe centre of the apparatus.

To permit this approachment, there is provided on the guide cam collar6, a first indentation 38 suitably disposed.

The projectile having, according to what has been stated above, beenmoved from the intermediate position b to the position of withdrawal 0,it will be noted that its fuse mechanism remains subjected to theinfluence of the sector 5 and, consequently, of the setting mechanism aslong as the projectile remains in position in its compartment.

Its setting therefore undergoes all the variations which the angle 1,comprised between the plane OA of origin of the sector 5 and the planeOR passing through the axis p of the position of withdrawal 0, is madeto undergo.

When, after withdrawal of the projectile which has just been set, thereis imparted to the drum 8 a fresh rotation of a quarter of a turn, thecompartment and the socket which have just been emptied at the positionof withdrawal 0, pass to the return position :1 at the same time as thecompartment, the socket and the projectile which were waiting at theintermediate position b are brought to the position c, and thecompartment, the socket and the projectile which were in the supplyposition a move to the position b.

During this displacement from position 0 to position d, the teeth 22 ofthe socket still continue in general and for a certain time, accordingto what is shown on Figure 4, to be in engagement with the controlsector 5 except, naturally, in the situation where, owing to the settingadopted, the plane OB passing through the extremity of the sector 5would have been made to coincide with the plane OR, in which case thatwhich will be pointed out would have already taken place.

Due to the said supplementary movement of rotation, the socket effectsthe complete rotation which it had commenced to make, and according towhat is shown at e on Figure 4, its projection 23 is again brought intocontact with the collar 6, the latter including a second indentation 45to permit the passage of the heel 39 of the projection 23.

From the moment when the compartment in question and its socket havereached the plane OB, synchronism is re-established between theirrespective serrations so that they are ready to receive a freshprojectile, and the axis of symmetry m-n is again directed to the centre0.

Nevertheless, for convenience of service, the fresh projectile is notput in at the return position d (or at any of the return positions at ifthere are more than one), but is only introduced at the supply positiona.

With a view to obtaining a correct and sure commencement of engagement,without wedging, of the sector 5 and the teeth of the rotating socket,it is necessary for the first tooth l! of the sector 5 only to come intocontact with the tooth 42 which precedes the axis of symmetry m-n of theprojection 23 and which is the nearest to it.

To this end, and according to the dimensions of the toothed parts, thepreceding tooth 43 of the toothed part of the socket, or, if necessary,a number of the previous teeth of the said toothed section, are given,according to the showing of Figures 5 and 6, bevellings 44 conforming tothe contour of the outer circle 45 of the teeth of the sector 5. g

In the construction shown in Figures 2, 3, 7 and 8 the locking deviceconstituted, in the case of Figure 1, by the stop bolt 33 is replaced byan automatic device fitted on each of the sockets.

The automatic device in question is formed by two telescopic slidingmembers 56 and 4'! subjected respectively:

The firstto the action of a spring 48 which bears on a fixedportion 55of the support Hi;

The second to the action of a spring 50 disposed between the bottom 5!of the inner cavity 52 of the part 56 and the upper extremity 53 of theelement ll.

There is furthermore provided in the body of the latter an elongatedaperture 5 2 through which passes a small bar 55 integral with the part46.

When a projectile is placed in position, the point 56 thereof rests onthe part 45 and thrusts it downward, in spite of the antagonistic actionof the spring 48.

Under the action of the spring 55, the part 47, Which is no longerrestrained by the bar 55, then freely descends until its lower end 59comes into contact with the circular sliding track 5! of the base I (seeFigure 8).

As will be seen from Figures 2 and 3, the said track is entirely levelover the whole of its length except opposite the withdrawal position 0.

At this point it comprises a recess 53 into which the lower extremity 59of the part 47 drops under the action of the spring 55.

It will be easily understood that the movable drum 8 is thus madestationary as long as there is a projectile in the compartment whichoccupies the position of withdrawal 0.

On the contrary, as soon as the projectile is lifted from this position,the part 45 rises up automatically under the action of the spring 48, asis shown in Figure 7, and, through the intermediation of the bar 55,also brings up the part 41, raising the lower end thereof out of therecess 58 and out of contact with the track 5'! itself.

From this moment, the drum 8 may be set in movement up to the time whenthe projectile which was in the intermediate waiting position b movesinto the position 0 and causes a fresh look- In the same constructionand to facilitate the work, ball bearings and GI are interposed betweenthe diiferent sockets and their respective supports.

While two difierent forms of apparatus embodying the invention have beendescribed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it will beobvious that the invention is not limited to the exact structures shownbut is capable of a variety of mechanical embodiments. Various changes,which will now suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, may bemade in the form, details of construction and arrangement of the partswithout departing from the spirit of the invention. Reference istherefore to be had to the appended claims for a definition of thelimits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for automatically and progressively setting the fusesof a succession of projectiles, the combination of a fixed base element,a carrier element rotatably supported by said base element and having aplurality of compartments equally spaced circumferentially of saidcarrier member and so constructed and arranged as to receive and supportthe projectiles Whose fuses are to be set in vertical invertedpositions, said carrier member being rotatable relatively to said baseelement about a vertical axis to bring each of said compartmentssuccessively into a projectile receiving position and a projectileremoval position, both of which positions are fixed with respect to saidbase element, setting means associated with each of said compartmentsand movable therewith about said axis for eifecting relative movementbetween the fixed and adjustable elements of the fuse of a projectilesupported in said compartment, and means operative at all pointsthroughout a predetermined portion only of the path of movement of saidcompartments between said projectile receiving and removal positions foractuating said setting means, said actuating means including means forvarying the length of said portion.

2. A fuse setting apparatus according to claim 1 wherein saidcompartments and setting means are so constructed and arranged as toeifect uniform settings of said fuses without regard to the orientationof the projectiles when the latter are placed in said compartments.

3. A' fuse setting apparatus according to claim 1 including means forpreventing rotation of said carrier member as long as there is aprojectile supported in the compartment occupying the projectile removalposition.

4. In an apparatus for automatically and progressively setting the fusesof a succession of projectiles, the combination of a fixed base element,a carrier member rotatably supported by said base element and having aplurality of compartments equally spaced circumferentially of saidcarrier member and adapted to receive the projectiles whose fuses are tobe set, said carrier member being rotatable relatively to said baseelement to bring each of said compartments successively into aprojectile receiving position and a projectile removal position, both ofwhich positions are fixed with respect to said base element, settingmeans associated with each of said compartments for effecting relativemovement between the fixed and adjustable elements of the fuse of aprojectile present in said compartment, means operative during movementof each of said compartments between said projectile receiving andremoval positions for actuating the associated setting means, and meansresponsive to the presence of a projectile in the compartment occupyingthe projectile removal position for preventing rotation of said carriermember.

5. In an apparatus for automatically and progressively setting the fusesof a succession of projectiles, the combination of a fixed base element,a carrier element rotatably supported by said base element and having aplurality of compartments equally spaced circumferentially of saidcarrier member and so constructed and arranged as to receive and supportthe projectiles whose fuses are to be set in vertical, invertedpositions, said carrier member being rotatable relatively to said baseelement about a vertical axis to bring each of said compartmentssuccessively into a projectile receiving position and a projectileremoval position, both of which positions are fixed with respect to saidbase element, setting means associated with each of said compartmentsand movable therewith about said axis for effecting relative movementbetween the fixed and adjustable elements of the fuse of a projectilesupported in said compartment, means operative during movement of saidcompartments through a predetermined portion only of the path betweensaid projectile receiving and removal positions for actuating saidsetting means, and control means operable whether said carrier member isat rest or moving for varying the length of the portion of said pathduring which said setting means are actuated.

6. In an apparatus for automatically and progressively setting the fusesof a succession of projectiles, the combination of a fixed base element,a carrier member rotatably supported by said base element and having aplurality of compartments equally spaced circumferentially of saidcarrier member and ada ted to receive the projectiles WhCSB fuses are tobe set, said carrier member being rotatable relatively to said baseelement to bring each of said compartments successively into aprojectile receiving position and a projectile removal position, both ofwhich positions are fixed with respect to said base element, settingmeans associated with each of said compartments for effecting relativemovement between the fixed and adjustable elements of the fuse of aprojectile present in said compartment, including relatively rotatablemembers operatively engaged with said fixed and adjustable elementsthroughout the time when the projectile is present in said compartment,and means operative during movement of each of said compartments througha limited portion only of the path between said projectile receiving andremoval positions for actuating the setting means associated therewith,said actuating means including means for varying the length of saidportion.

7. In an apparatus for automatically and progressively setting the fusesof a succession of projectiles, the combination of a fixed base element,a carrier member rotatably supported by said base element and having aplurality of compartments equally spaced circumferentially of saidcarrier member and adapted to receive the projectiles whose fuses are tobe set, said carrier member being rotatable relatively to said baseelement to bring each of said compartments successively into aprojectile receiving position and a projectile removal position, both ofwhich positions are fixed with respect to said base element, settingmeans associated with each of said compartments for efiecting relativemovement between the fixed and adjustable elements of the fuse of aprojectile present in said compartment, means operative during movementof said compartments through a predetermined portion of the path betweensaid projectile receiving and removal positions for actuating saidsetting means, including relatively rotatable members operatively enaged with said fixed and adjustable elements throughout the time whenthe pro jectile is present in said compartment, and means for positivelypreventing relative rotation of the members of each of said settingmeans until the associated compartment has moved a predetermineddistance beyond the projectile receiving position.

8. In an apparatus for automatically and progressively setting the fusesof a succession of projectiles, the combination of a fixed base element,a carrier member rotatably supported by said base element and having aplurality of compartments equally spaced circumferentially of saidcarrier member and adapted to receive the fused ends of the projectileswhose fuses are to be set,

said carrier member being rotatable relatively to said base element tobring each of said compartments successively into a projectile receivingposition and a projectile removal position, both of which positions arefixed with respect to said base element, setting means associated witheach of said compartments for effecting relative move ment between thefixed and adjustable elements of the fuse present in said compartment,including a socket member adapted to engage said adjustable fuse elementand to be rotated relatively to said carrier member and the associatedcompartment, and means for rotating said socket members comprising agear fixed to each of said members and a cooperating gear sector mounted9. A fuse setting apparatus according to claim 8 including control meansfor adjusting the angular position of said gear sector about the axis ofsaid carrier member.

10. A fuse setting apparatus according to claim 8 including means forpositively preventing rotation of said socket members at all timesexcept when the gears thereof are in mesh with said gear sector.

11. In apparatus for automatically and progressively setting the fusesof a succession of projectiles, the combination of a fixed base element,a carrier member rotatably supported by said base element and having aplurality of annular, internally serrated compartment members equal- 1yspaced circumferentially f said carrier member and adapted to receivethe fixed elements of the fuses to be set, said carrier member beingrotatable relatively to said base element to bring each of saidcompartment members successively into a projectile receiving positionand a projectile removal position, both of which positions are fixedwith respect to said base element, and setting means associated witheach of said com- I partment members for effecting relative movementbetween the fixed and adjustable elements of the fuse present in saidcompartment, including an annular, internally serrated member coaxialwith th associated compartment member but rotatable relatively theretoand means for maintaining the teeth of each of said serrated settingmembers in coincidence with those of the associated compartment memberwhen the latter occupies the projectile receiving position, wherebyuniformity of fuse setting is assured regardless of the orientation fthe projectiles when the fuses of the latter are placed in saidcompartment members.

GEORGES MARIE TELESPHORE ALEXANDRE FONTAINE.

